Because You're You
by missmissa85
Summary: Being the rookie is hard, but so is being the fish out of water.  A series of oneshots circulating around the rookie and the Jersey Boy.  Gen and a little shippy, because I'm me.
1. Arachnophobia

A/N: I've never written a series of oneshots before, but that's what I was inspired to do when it comes to my cure for the Mondays. Since everyone seems to have Steve and Danny covered, I figured I'd cover Danny and Kono's friendship and potentially more. Enjoy.

* * *

**Arachnophobia**

The four of them stood on the porch in their vests with their weapons drawn.

Steve roughly knocked on the door and called out, "Damien Jackson! Five-0 Task Force! Open up!"

When there was no immediate reaction, Steve kicked open the door and they filed into the house. Everything was fine at first. The spiders were in their tanks. They weren't the problem. The coke-dealing scumbag they were serving was the problem. It wasn't long before Steve had Damien cornered. Chin blasted his accomplice into the wall before he could put a bullet into the back of Steve's skull. That's when things when downhill for Kono.

The unnamed accomplice smashed a number of tanks when Chin's shotgun blast hit his chest. Various spiders skittered across the floor and Kono's eyes widened to the size of saucers.

"You okay?" Danny asked, glancing at her sideways as Steve slapped the cuffs on Damien and Chin called for backup and an ambulance.

"I, uh…"

"Kid, what's wrong with you?" Chin asked, checking the accomplice for a pulse.

"I…"

"Kono?"

A spider reached the tip of her shoe and she suddenly bolted for the door. Danny's forehead crinkled in confusion as he said, "You got this?"

"We got it. Go find out what's wrong with her," Steve ordered, roughly pushing Damien's face into the concrete floor.

The fresh air did nothing to stop her from seeing stars. She couldn't get enough air, regardless of how many breaths she took.

"Kono, hey, gimme your gun," Danny's seemingly distant voice ordered her gently yet firmly.

She gave it to him without protest as she continued attempting to catch her breath.

"Now get that vest off."

She fumbled with the straps for a moment before his hands gently took over and removed the vest for her. He then carefully guided her to sit down on the curb.

"Put your head between your knees like that," he told her. "Breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth. And slowly, do it slowly."

Kono followed his orders and her vision gradually became sharper and her lungs felt less like imploding. Danny's hand softly rubbing her back was oddly soothing and comforting. She ran a hand through her hair as she lifted her head up.

"This is so embarrassing."

"It's not embarrassing," he assured her. "Spiders creep me the hell out too."

"I don't see you having a panic attack."

"You would if they were scorpions," he said, grinning. When she managed a micro-chuckle, he continued, "What made you so afraid of spiders?"

Kono looked at the sky and said, "You remember that movie _Arachnophobia_?"

"Oh my God, are you serious? That was a terrible movie. How could it have scared you so bad?"

"It wasn't _just _the movie," she protested. "A couple of days after we saw it, my brother locked me in a closet with a nest of spiders. The light went out and he left me there for two hours until my mom got home."

Danny blinked at her and said, "That's…you have a brother?"

"That's what you took from that?" she asked, laughing along with him.

"Seriously, you have a brother?"

"Yeah, he's in Afghanistan training cops, and I know what you're doing."

"What's that?"

She squeezed the hand he was holding and smiled at him. "You're distracting me from my anxiety."

"Nice work. Someday you'll be an amazing detective," he said, lightly kissing her cheek before gently pulling her to her feet. "You good to go?"

She nodded and he returned her gun. Steve approached, pulling Damien along as sirens sounded.

"You okay?" he called out.

"Yeah, we just really don't like spiders," Danny answered.

Steve nodded and replied, "See you back at HQ."

"Hey," Kono said, catching Danny's arm before he moved away, "thanks, Danno."

He groaned and said, "Oh, no. Not you, too?"


	2. To Our Knees

A/N: So...this one is like twice as long as the last one, but it's a lot of fun, and there's some Steve/Danno banter as well. Enjoy!

* * *

"Ow! Dammit! Ow!"

"Stop being such a baby," Steve said as he practically dropped Danny into the chair.

"A baby? I've torn my ACL!"

"Well, then you shouldn't have rushed in there."

"If I didn't rush in there, you were gonna get your head blown off!"

"You should have let me worry about that!"

"Your personal survival and the survival of everyone around you is so far down on your list of priorities, it's practically in the Marianas Trench!"

"I see you been studying Gracie's geography lately."

"You stupid son of a—"

"Ladies!" Chin interrupted loudly. "Lewis is still out there in a stolen car."

"I've got a trace on the car," Kono said from behind her laptop. "Steve, I'm sending it to your phone."

"Chin, let's go," Steve ordered. "Kono, call us if anything changes. You, stay."

"I'm not a dog…or your sister!" Danny called after him.

"You act like my sister!"

"What did you say?"

"You heard me!" Steve yelled without looking back as he and Chin charged out the door.

"I hate him. I hate him so much," Danny muttered, rubbing his right knee.

"Come on, get that knee up," Kono said, pulling a chair near and lifting his leg into it. She laid an ice pack over his throbbing joint and said, "If there's one thing I know about, it's knees."

Danny sighed in relief as the ice began to numb his pain.

"Got any pain meds in your office?"

"Nah, they make me drowsy."

Kono rolled her eyes and headed to the small kitchen attached to the Five-0 HQ.

"Shouldn't you be watching the monitors?" Danny called after her.

"Lewis Black is a two-time loser and a major idiot," Kono called back as she rummaged through the cabinets. "Steve and Chin probably didn't even need GPS tracking to find him."

"How do you know so much about this guy?"

"I went to high school with him," she replied simply as she placed a glass and bottle filled with brown liquid down in front of him. "It's the original pain medication."

He briefly examined the label and said, "Hmm. I didn't think they had Irish whisky in Hawaii."

"Well, it's Jameson…like the governor," Kono said, sitting down across from him.

He shook his head with a chuckle as he unscrewed the cap and poured two fingers into the glass. "Well, I'm not drinking alone."

"What? Me? No! If it were beer, maybe. But whisky? No, not gonna happen," she answered hastily.

"But a man drinking alone is just pathetic. Trust me. I've spent enough time drinking alone to know," Danny said after a large swallow. He poured another glass and held it out to her. "Come on. Be brave."

Kono caved and took the glass from him. She looked away from his smugly grinning face as the liquid burned down her throat.

"God! How do you drink this stuff?" she rasped, sliding the glass back to him.

He didn't answer. He just poured another drink. When he swallowed that, he poured another and passed it to Kono.

"So how may knee surgeries did you have to have?" Danny asked as he rested his head on his fist.

"Three, total," she replied, merely grimacing at the taste of the liquid and pouring Danny the next drink. "After the first one, I tried going back into competition, but I hurt myself again and wound up having two more surgeries and being told my professional career was over."

"Do you think you would have become a cop if you hadn't blown out your knee?"

"No. I was going to make a name for myself, open a shop on the North Shore designing and selling my own boards. Might have even opened a school," she replied, drinking straight out of the bottle.

"I guess we're being barbarians now?" he asked, taking the bottle from her.

"Mom's not here to yell at us," she said, pulling her knees to her chest. "Why did you become a cop?"

Danny grinned as he passed her the bottle and said, "I blew out my knee."

"What?" she asked incredulously as she giggled through her drink.

"Yeah. I injured my knee playing high school baseball. Lost the state championship. Lost my college scholarship. The only thing I didn't lose was my girlfriend, which in retrospect might have been okay."

"Was Rachel the girlfriend?"

"Yep," he said before taking a long swallow. "She eventually decided I was a loser too, though."

"You're not a loser, Danny," Kono told him firmly. "You're a great dad and a great cop, you know that, right?"

"I do," he said, passing the bottle back to her. "You're pretty damned good yourself."

"Thanks. Hold on a sec," she said, pouring some of the liquid into the glass. "Let's make a toast to why we became cops."

"Okay," Danny said, picking up the glass and clicking it against the bottle. "To our knees."

"To our knees," Kono grinned.

Two Hours Later…

"Come on, Lewis," Steve ordered as he and Chin dragged the small, pasty man into Five-0 headquarters.

"Oh, my God, Lewis!" Kono exclaimed, rushing up to them. "Why weren't you at our high school reunion?"

"Uh…I was sort of in jail," Lewis answered cautiously.

"I kinda thought it was something like that."

"Are you _drunk_?" Chin asked angrily.

"Noooo."

"Actually, she's about this far away from being completely hammered," Danny said, chuckling as he took a drink from the bottle in his hand.

"I am not," she protested, sitting down in a chair that rolled at the last minute resulting in Kono landing on the floor.

"She was so not that much fun in high school," Lewis mused as Steve roughly shoved him into the interrogation room.

"I guess I've officially drunk you under the table," Danny laughed as he leaned down to look at the woman on the floor.

"What did you expect? She weighs ninety pounds soaking wet," Chin said hotly as he pulled Kono to her feet. "You're gonna pay for this."

"I probably will," Danny said, grinning as he took another drink.

"Gimme that," Steve ordered, yanking the bottle out of Danny's hand as he circled behind them.

"Where the hell did you come from?"

Steve glared at him as he put the bottle back in the cabinet.

"Bye, Danno," Kono called as Chin pulled her stumbling form toward the door.

"Don't-don't call me Danno," he called after her.

The room was only silent for a moment before a shadow fell over Danny. He looked up to find Steve glaring down at him with his arms folded across his chest.

"Okay, in my defense, the alcohol was her idea," Danny said. "Her drinking with was more me."

"Uh-huh," Steve replied flatly. "I'm never leaving the two of you alone again."

"Whatever. Where's Lewis?"

"Cuffed to a chair," Steve said, taking Danny's arm and draping it over his shoulders. "Come on. I'll take you home and make you a pot of coffee."

"What about Lewis?" Danny asked as they moved unsteadily toward the door.

"He'll keep 'til tomorrow. Then you can book 'em, Danno."

"I hate you so much right now."


	3. Creep Night

This one could almost be seen as a sort of tag to Monday's episode, "Nalowale". Enjoy!

* * *

"Daddy, this is so exciting! We're gonna have creeps!"

Danny grinned at his daughter's purposeful mispronunciation. "You're acting like we've never had crepe night before."

"We haven't since you started working with Uncle Steve."

"When did you start calling him 'Uncle' Steve?" Danny asked as he grabbed a jar of peanut butter from a high shelf. "I wonder if they have Nutella anywhere."

"Everybody calls grown ups aunt and uncle in Hawaii, even if they're not related," Grace explained as she dropped jars of strawberry and grape jelly into the basket her father was holding.

"Seriously? Who told you that?" Danny asked, taking her hand as they meandered down the aisle.

"Aunty May."

"Who is Aunty May?"

"The cook."

"Oh. Does she make you crepes?"

"Yeah, but they're not as good as yours," Grace replied, smiling up at him.

"Thanks, Monkey," he replied, placing a sack of powdered sugar in the basket.

They rounded a corner and Danny immediately collided with another body.

"Oh, I'm so sorry," he said, trying to disentangle his basket from the other person's

"Kono!" Grace said brightly.

Danny looked up to find the person in front of him was indeed his coworker. He finally freed his basket and said, "What? She's not Aunt Kono?"

"She's too young. Aunty May said so."

"May Donovan's your cook?" Kono asked.

Grace nodded as Danny asked, "How do you know her?"

"She's _actually_ my aunt," Kono replied, smiling.

"Is there anyone on this island you're not related to?"

"Well, there's you, and Steve, and Mary…" Kono said, counting on her fingers.

"Wow, that's an amazingly long list."

"Dad, can I go get fruit for the creeps?"

Kono raised an eyebrow and Danny shook his head, smiling. "They're crepes," he assured her, "and, yes, you can."

He handed his daughter the basket and she rushed off down the aisle. Danny diligently watched her out of the corner of his eye as she said, "Crepes?"

"Yeah, crepe night's been a tradition since Rachel was pregnant with Grace."

"But I didn't see any crepes in the basket."

"I make them from scratch."

"You what?"

"Why is that so hard to believe?"

"Because you're _you_," she replied incredulously. "How do you know how to make crepes from scratch?"

Danny glanced into her basket and said, "I'll tell you how I learned to make crepes if you tell me why you have dog biscuits."

"What are you talking about?" she asked, moving the basket behind her back.

"Okay, don't even try the denial card, I've already seen them in your basket."

"Um, they're for a…friend who is out of town, and I am watching her dog while she's away."

Danny grinned and said, "Okay, you are great undercover, but you are a terrible liar."

"I'm not lying."

"Okay, let me explain something to you," he began, "I am a detective. I can tell when people are lying. In this case, your voice went up about a step and you kept looking at the ceiling and you repeated the same idea in one sentence."

Kono rolled her eyes before glaring at him.

"You kept that Chinese madam's dog didn't you?" Danny said, wagging his forefinger in her face.

"No," she said, pushing his hand away.

"So, if I went to your place, I wouldn't find a yappy, little Chihuahua?"

"She's a Pomeranian."

"Ha!" he exclaimed triumphantly as Kono's shoulders slumped in defeat.

"Don't tell Steve," she asked him. "He was kind of annoyed that I promised the woman to find Lana a good home."

"You named the dog Lana?"

"Yes, is there a problem with that?"

"No, I guess not," Danny laughed.

"Alright, now you know my secret; how do you know how to make crepes from scratch?"

"Um," he said, scratching the side of his head, "I was cook at IHOP for most of high school and even while I was at the academy."

Kono pursed her lips and did a bad job of swallowing a laugh.

"What?"

"It's just…I'm picturing you in an apron and one of those little hats and…it's very funny."

"What's so funny?" Grace asked, returning to them.

"Your daddy's history as a fry cook," he replied, taking the basket from her. He held up a pineapple he found in the basket and asked, "Gracie, what am I supposed to do with this?"

"Slice it up," she replied matter-of-factly.

"With what? A hammer?"

"You can use a knife. Just cut the sides off vertically before you slice it across, and…" Kono said, walking past him and down the aisle. "Brown sugar," she said, placing a bag into Danny's basket. "Everybody loves brown sugar."

Danny cocked an eyebrow at her and she muttered, "I could have phrased that differently."

"Hey, do you know where the Nutella is?" Grace suddenly asked Kono.

"Yeah, it's on the aisle with the chocolate syrup next to the tea and coffee."

"Thanks," Danny told her. "Hey, do you want to join us?"

Grace emphatically nodded her agreement, but Kono shook her head smiling. "I need to get back to my dog, and you guys get so little time together. I wouldn't want to intrude."

Danny just smiled in reply and said, "See you Monday, Kono."

"Bye, Danno," she said before turning and walking away.

"Dad?" Grace began as they turned the other direction. "Why does everyone call you Danno now?"

He laughed and said, "Because I can't stop them."


	4. Because You're a Tomboy

A/N: The rating went up to T on this one due to mentions of prostitution. This is also the first part of a two-shot. Enjoy!

* * *

"No," Danny said flatly.

"Why not?"

"Because it's a terrible, terrible idea."

"Why? You don't think I'd make a good escort?"

"That question is loaded beyond belief," Danny muttered as he stood up from his desk and walked past her.

"Why wouldn't I make a believable hooker?" she called after him as she followed him to the kitchen.

"Kono, I am _not_ going to answer that," he said, sniffing a Chinese food container from the refrigerator before making a face and tossing it in the trash.

"Well, what's wrong with me?"

"There is nothing wrong with you," Danny said, examining a pizza. "Jesus, this thing's growing fur." He tossed it into the trash and looked back at her. "You should be grateful you couldn't be a hooker."

"I was a slutty waitress. What's the difference?" she asked, sitting on the counter as Danny pulled a loaf of bread and a plate of cold cuts out of the refrigerator.

"Okay, how were you a slutty waitress?" Danny asked, grabbing the mayo.

"That dress barely existed and less than an hour after the casino opened, I was making out with some random guy by the pool."

"Well, the random guy is glad to know what you think of him," he said gruffly, taking a knife from a drawer.

She rolled her eyes and said, "Seriously, why don't you think I would make a believable hooker?"

Danny groaned loudly and looked up at the ceiling. "You're really gonna make me say it, aren't you?"

"Yes, I am."

"Fine," he said, leaning against the table as he faced her. "It's very simple. Just look at what you're wearing: loose shirt, jeans, and Converse. You're not even slightly feminine right now."

"It's an 80s look," she protested. "And I know that because I'm feminine."

"Kono, c'mon, you're not wearing any make-up and I've seen you lay guys out just for getting in your way surfing."

"Surfing is important."

"Fine, Kono. What I'm saying here is that you're a tomboy, a while men certainly go for that in real life, they are also not going to pay for it in real life."

"How are you such an expert on escorts?" she asked with an accusatory tone.

"I'm a cop!"

"Well, so am I."

"Yeah, but unlike you, I did not go from the academy to McGarrett's House of Horrors," Danny said, returning to assembling his sandwich. "I was on the beat for three years, and I was even in vice for a while. Weirdest six months of my life."

"You know what? I still think it's a good idea," Kono said resolutely.

"And you have the freedom to think that. But Steve, and especially Chin, are never gonna go for it," he said before biting into his sandwich. "Ugh! What is wrong with this bread?"

"It's Hawaiian," Kono answered. "It's sweet."

"Unbelievable," Danny muttered, tossing the rest of the sandwich in the trash.

* * *

"Sounds like a plan to me."

"Are you serious? You actually _want_ to turn your cousin into a prostitute?"

"We're not actually turning her into a prostitute, unlike _actually_ getting her drunk," Chin replied, glaring at Danny.

"Nobody got me drunk. I got drunk. Let's leave it at that," Kono said, cutting Danny off before he could argue.

"Okay, look, it's the only idea we've had to get to Simon Green," Steve said, examining the file in his hands. "It says here he has a thing for stealing escorts from other men; makes him feel like he won something. So…Danno, you can go in with Kono as her client.

"I what? Why me?" Danny practically screeched with his arms spread wide.

"Um, you look like someone who would have to pay a woman like Kono to go out with you," Steve replied with a hint of a smirk.

Chin covered a grin with his hand while Kono sheepishly looked at the floor and the vein in Danny's forehead started throbbing.

"I hate you," Danny growled at Steve as he stood up and walked toward his office.

"I'm sorry, Danno," Kono called after him.

"Don't call me Danno!" he shouted back as he slammed his office door.


	5. The Cost of Tormenting Danno

A/N: Was last night's episode awesome, or what? There was even some nice Danny/Kono interaction amongst a great story that highlighted a huge part of Hawaiian life. There was also one of the coolest action sequences involving a car that I have ever seen on television (who knew you could take a Camaro off-roading?) Anyway this is the conclusion to my previous chapter and I should tell you as a warning that there are some fairly adult situations ahead. Enjoy!

* * *

"Why'd you have to wear those shoes?"

"What? Are they not feminine enough for you?"

"They make you taller than me."

"I'm taller than you in my bare feet."

"That's just untrue."

"Children, could you just focus, please?" Steve said into their earpieces.

"Sorry," they said in unison.

"He's at the bar," Steve told them.

"Got him," Danny said, casting a sidelong glance at the reedy man at the bar. "And he's already got eyes on Kono."

"Told you this would work," she said as they slid into a booth at the back.

"Any man is going to look at a woman wearing that flimsy excuse for a dress."

"Stop looking at me like that."

"Like what?"

"Like you're annoyed with me."

"I am annoyed with you."

"You're not supposed to be annoyed with me right now."

"Then make me not be annoyed with you," he dared, grinning.

Kono leaned forward and kissed him with so much force, he nearly fell backward. He's almost managed to regain his composure when he felt her hand snaking up the inside of his thigh.

"What the hell are you doing?" he asked between short kisses.

"Just selling the bit," she replied, smiling slyly and letting her fingers creep farther up his thigh.

"You're gonna sell more than just the bit if you don't sop that," he warned, grasping her wrist firmly with his hand.

"Kono, what are you doing?" Chin asked her through their earpieces.

"Nothing," they answered together.

"And you better stop," Danny added in a hiss.

"Okay, guys, you need to stop whatever you're doing. Green's talking to his goons. That means he's sending them after Danny as soon as you walk away. The sooner we do this, the sooner it's over, so let's get this started."

"Fine," Kono said as she squeezed Danny's thigh.

Danny tensed to keep from jumping and did his best to return the smile Kono threw at him. "Okay…feral kittens, sand fleas, Nana in that bathing suit when I was fifteen…" he muttered to himself.

"Danno, what are you doing?"

"Just give me a second," Danny replied through clenched teeth.

"Danno, they're coming for you."

Danny palmed the table and stood up to face large, similarly square-jawed men.

"Can I help you fellas?"

"We need you to come with us," the one on the left said.

"Actually, I'm meeting someone right now," Danny said, moving forward.

"Actually, you're coming with us," the one on the right said as they both grabbed his shoulders.

"Okay, fine," Danny relented easily as they led him toward a back door.

When they were in the alley, Danny said, "So, are you gonna cap me and dump my body in that vast, local body of water."

"Nah," the one on the left replied. "We like the kneecaps."

"Could you please not do that? I just started walking without a cane."

"Fine. We'll just put one in your gut," the one on the right said as he drew a handgun from inside his jacket.

"Okay, but you should know there's angry man behind you with a shotgun."

"You're lying."

"No, I'm not," Danny said as Chin cocked both men in the back of their skulls. As they both crumpled to the ground, Danny said, "Told ya."

He and Chin made quick work of restraining the men and stripping them of their weapons. They then headed up the back stairs to the hotel room they were using to set up their surveillance equipment. They opened the door to find Steve scrambling with wires and cables.

"We lost visual," he told them before they even had a chance to ask.

"Here, let me look," Chin said, firmly pushing Steve out of the way. "You learn a few things when you're the guy that gets left in the surveillance van all the time."

"Bitter, party of one," Danny muttered, eliciting glares from the other men in the room. "Sorry."

"I'm meeting someone else," they heard Kono say on the surveillance speakers.

"Well, now you're meeting me," Green replied.

"I don't think so."

"I can pay you in cash…right now."

"Let me see."

A short moment later they heard a shout and the telltale sound of furniture falling over.

"What the hell?" Chin said, standing up and pulling his weapon.

"I hope she didn't just fall off those shoes," Danny muttered as he and Steve followed Chin out the door with their handguns.

Chin kicked open the door and they found Simon Green taking off his jacket while Kono struggled to stand to her feet from the floor.

"You okay, kid?" Chin asked, pulling her up as Steve slapped the cuffs on Simon Green.

"Yeah, I'm good," Kono said, allowing him to help her into a chair.

"Hey, Simon, we need to ask you a few questions about your shipping business," Steve said, roughly pushing Simon out the door.

Danny stood in the doorway smirking and Kono glared at him.

"What?"

"You fell off those shoes, didn't you?"

"Shut up," she growled, which just made him giggle to himself.

Chin shook his head at them and said, "I'm going to round up the goons in the alley. You sure you're okay?"

"I'm fine. Just go," Kono said irritably, pulling off her other shoe.

When Chin was gone, Danny still stood in the doorway grinning. "You can't walk, can you?"

"I don't think so," she reluctantly admitted.

He chuckled and wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her gently out of the chair. "That ankle's probably just sprained. We'll get you some ice, wrap it up, and you'll be fine," he said as he helped her limp into the hall.

"Thanks," she said quietly.

"You kind of deserve this," he told her.

"For what?"

"For torturing me."

"I was not torturing you."

"Yes, you were."

"Well, maybe a little," she said, smiling crookedly.

Danny nodded as they stopped at the elevator and he faced her. "Never do that again. We were on an op for chrissake!"

"Oh, I don't think there will be another opportunity," she told him. "I am never wearing these shoes again."

"Told you so."

"Told me what?"

"That you're a tomboy."

"Oh...shut up, Danno."

"Don't call me—you know what, nevermind," he muttered as he helped her hobble into the elevator.


	6. Because Danno Don't Surf

A/N: This one's a little short, but I really like it. There aren't any spoilers, but there are references to Ep. 1.6 "Ko'olauloa". Enjoy! And thanks for all the kind an wonderful reviews.

* * *

"Kono, I have a proposal for you," Danny said as he invited himself into her office and sat down across from her desk.

She continued staring at the mound of paperwork before her as she replied, "I'm flattered, but I'm not really interested in marriage right now, Danny."

"Huh? Oh, that's not what I meant," he said, waving her off.

"I know," she said, grinning.

"Anyway, I was wondering if you'd be willing to teach Grace how to surf?"

"Huh?" Kono asked, finally looking up from her work.

"I said, would you be willing to teach Grace how to surf?"

She blinked and said, "You're serious."

"Yeah, Grace has been begging constantly—I blame your buddies at Coral Prince—and I reached an agreement with Rachel about it."

"You what?"

"Yeah, I know, it's shocking I reached an agreement with my ex-wife about anything," Danny replied, nodding, "but she and Step-Stan are going to pay for the lessons and _I_ get to choose the teacher _and_ take Gracie to her lessons."

"Okay…but there are a lot of great instructors on the island. Why me?" Kono asked, shaking her head slightly.

"You were a professional surfer for six years," he said as though it were obvious. "And you're a girl."

"Well, I get you not wanting a man to teach your daughter how to surf, but there are plenty of female surfing instructors around."

"Yeah, but I don't know any of them."

Kono leaned back in her chair and said, "You got some serious trust issues, brah."

"After you do this job for ten years, you will too. Actually, since you work for _our_ boss, give it six months," Danny told her.

She chuckled and said, "I don't even know if I'd be a good teacher."

"You'll be a great teacher," he assured her, leaning forward.

"Now you're just buttering me up."

"I am. Oh, and I'd also appreciate it if you could _way_ overcharge Rachel and Step-Stan," he said, smirking.

"Oh, I get it now," she said brightly. "You're asking me because you figure you can talk me into bilking your ex and her rich husband for money."

"Well, that's part of it. Come on. Just say yes already."

"Fine, I'll do it," Kono laughed. "Now could you get out of here so I can finish all this paperwork?"

"Sure," Danny said, opening her door. He paused at the last moment and turned back. "Grace doesn't have to wear a bikini, does she?"

"No, and make sure she wears plenty of sunscreen," Kono ordered. "Melanoma is nothing to laugh at."

Danny nodded approvingly. He started to leave before changing his mind again. "Do _you_ have to wear a bikini, because if you do, Grace is going to want to and—"

"Danny," she cut him of with a hard-edged stare, "there are limits to what you can ask me to do."

"Fine," he grumbled, letting the door close behind him.

* * *

A few days later, Danny walked down the beach holding Grace's hand while she held her shiny new surfboard under her other arm. He found himself cocking his head in surprise when he saw Kono waving them over. She had a sarong tied low on her hips and the halter-top of her bathing suit came down to reveal only about an inch of her stomach.

"Hey, guys. I almost didn't recognize you wearing a t-shirt and jeans," she said to Danny. "Where are your shoes?"

"Grace made me leave them in the car."

"They were embarrassing," Grace explained quickly.

"I'm sure they were," Kono agreed, laughing as Danny rolled his eyes.

"You look different too," he said pointedly.

"Well, it's always nice to change it up."

"Uh-huh," he replied incredulously. "Thanks."

"There are still limits, Danno, but you're welcome," she said, smiling before turning her attention back to her pupil. "Okay, Grace, we're gonna get out on the water today, but the first thing I need to talk to you about is board because without it, nothing else is possible…"


	7. Of Scars and Skateboards

A/N: This one was inspired by a couple of things: 1) Gabrielle Day's Because You're Always Right features a chapter where Danny gets sick, and I sort of put my own spin on that idea with Kono instead of Steve helping out, and 2) Scott Caan actually knows how to surf and was a skater b/c they were individual sports and it pissed off his dad (although I would honestly do my dead-level best to avoid pissing off James Caan. The man is freaking terrifying!) and I kind of integrated some of that into Danny's character here. Thanks for the reviews and sorry for the long wait, school has been insane. I just finished a big exam and I've started a project where I'm not speaking for a month, which actually makes writing a little harder. Enjoy!

* * *

"Holy crap," Kono breathed as she pulled up to Danny's apartment building. The place looked as though it might collapse at any moment. She suddenly felt grateful her dad made her save all that money when she was on the pro tour. She could at least afford a studio apartment with actual air conditioning.

She climbed the moldy stairs to the second story and walked around until she found Danny's apartment. She peered through the screens and saw a mound on the couch covered with a mint green afghan.

"Danny?" she called through the screens.

A low grumble was all the reply she received.

"Grace told me you were sick at her lesson today," she continued. "Are you okay?"

"I have the flu. Go away!" the mint green mass replied gruffly.

"How do you have the flu? Didn't you get vaccinated?"

He groaned loudly and rolled over to look at her from the couch. "No."

"Danny, we're around criminals all the time. They're not exactly the most health conscious people. And germs incubate more quickly in a tropical climate."

"Enough with the biology lesson, Kono! I don't—" He cut himself off running to his tiny bathroom.

Kono's face scrunched up in disgust when she heard him wretch followed by a fit of deep-chested coughs. She smirked to herself and pulled her cell phone out of her pocket.

* * *

He rested his bare back against the cool porcelain of his tub. His stomach was restless, his chest felt like a brick was sitting on it, his head was pounding, and he ached all over. He heard someone moving around outside the bathroom door. He silently hoped it was Kono because he knew he couldn't fight off a home invader.

"What are you doing?" he asked as he shuffled toward his couch.

"I'm looking for a bag—Oh. My. God."

"What?" Danny asked, twisting around to look at her.

"You have a _skateboard_?" she asked, holding up the battered piece of shaped wood.

"So?"

"The idea of surfing horrifies you," she reminded him. "They're related sports!"

Danny covered his head with his afghan and said, "Go away, Kono."

He heard her walk to the other side of his apartment and then shuffle through more of his stuff. He felt her tugging at his afghan as she said, "Come on, Danny. Put this shirt on."

"No," he replied with a child-like defiance that surprised even him.

"Danny, you cannot sleep off the flu. People die from the flu. You have a daughter!"

He started to reply when his lungs seized and violent coughs wracked his body. As Kono looked at him, she wasn't sure what bothered her more: the violence of his coughing fit, or the uneven, jagged scars on his right shoulder blade.

Danny breathed in raggedly and took the t-shirt from her hands. "I'm not going to the hospital," he said, pulling the shirt over his head.

Kono released a sigh of relief and handed him a pair of Converse she found on opposite sides of the apartment. "I'm not taking you to the hospital," she assured him. "I'm taking you to my parents' house."

"Uh…why?"

"My mom is an R.N. She'll make sure you're okay."

Danny shrugged and slowly stood to his feet, grabbing his afghan. Kono vehemently shook her head and said, "You are _not_ taking that with you. It's full of germs and it's disgusting."

"My gran made this for me when I had chicken pox," Danny protested, his eyes wide with hurt.

"Okay, fine," Kono relented, taking the afghan from his hands, "but I am going to wash this."

"Wow."

"What?"

"You just looked like my mom right there."

Her mouth formed into a frown and her gaze toward him narrowed. He weakly grinned and said, "Now you look like Steve."

Kono rolled her eyes and took comfort in the fact that he was at least smiling. "Come on," she said as she gently pulled on his elbow.

"I have the flu. I can still walk," Danny said, shaking off her arm.

Kono groaned and shook her head. Danny was asleep in the passenger seat by the time she pulled up to her parents' house. He only stirred when she opened the passenger side door.

"Don't even think about helping me out of this car," he told her groggily.

Kono responded with more eye rolling.

When they reached the entryway inside the house, Danny was met by a smaller version of Kono with shorter hair and a few minor wrinkles around her eyes.

"Danny, this is my mom, Iolani. Mom, this is my partner, Danny Williams."

Iolani Kalakaua unceremoniously placed the back of her hand on Danny's forehead, startling him visibly. "When was the last time you bathed?" she asked frankly.

"Uh…"

"Go take a hot shower; so hot it almost burns," Iolani ordered. "Kono, give him his things."

Kono shrugged the bag off her shoulder and passed it to him.

"Where'd you find my duffel?" Danny asked, having not really noticed it before.

"In your kitchen," she replied, grinning sardonically, "which is where most people keep their duffel bags."

"Smart ass," he muttered, eliciting a sharp glare from Iolani, which just made Kono grin even wider.

As her mother led Danny to the bathroom, Kono took the afghan draped over one arm through the house and onto the lanai where the deep washbasin was located. She ran just enough lukewarm water into it to cover the afghan before she found the gentle detergent. She poured some in and let it all soak as she took off her watch and pushed up her sleeves. She was suddenly grateful Aunty May had shown her how to gently hand wash an item when she was nine. She'd hate to destroy something Danny obviously loved so much.

She felt a presence watching her and smiled up at her mother standing in the back doorway.

"So…the first man you bring home in five years is a sick haole," Iolani said, smiling as she leaned against the doorframe.

"I didn't 'bring him home,'" Kono protested, gently wringing the dirty water of the afghan. "He's sick. He lives alone. You're a nurse, and you actually like taking care of sick cops. That's how you met Dad, after all."

"He wasn't sick. He had a bullet in his arm," her mother reminded her. "Though I suppose for a cop, it's really not that different."

Kono shrugged and smiled, pulling the plug on the washbasin. Her mother watched her as she wrung out the last of the dirty water from the afghan. She ran the water for the rinse as her daughter replaced the plug.

"What's the story with this old thing?"

"His gran made it for him when he had the chicken pox, so I'm guessing it's close to thirty years old," Kono explained, taking a closer look at the afghan in her hands. It was actually a pleasing spearmint color and the crocheted details were intricate. Kono could only imagine the hours Danny's grandmother spent making it.

"Men like to think they're not sentimental, but they're worse than any woman I've ever known," Iolani mused.

Kono nodded her agreement as she and her mother hung the afghan on the line to dry.

"There's a good breeze today," Iolani said. "It should dry quickly."

"Good. He'll probably want to sleep with it. Big baby," Kono said, sitting down in one of the chairs on the lanai.

The house always had an interesting view. From the front yard, you could see down to the beach. Ko'olau looked like it rose right out of the backyard from a distance. Kono stared up at the cliffs as her mother brought her a bottle of water and sat down next to her in the other chair.

"You like him, don't you?"

"Well, yeah," Kono replied hesitantly, knowing that question was loaded.

"Is he a good man?"

"Yes, Mom, he's a very good man," Kono assured her. "He moved five thousand miles just so he could be with his daughter a few hours a week. I can't even imagine doing that."

"You've been farther away from home than five thousand miles."

"Yeah, but I never gave up everything I'd ever known, pulled up my roots, and _moved_ to what must seem like a foreign country."

"It was a foreign country, you know."

"I'm aware, Mom," Kono said, rolling her eyes and shaking her head. "I just think he made an amazing sacrifice, and I don't think I could do it."

"You _really_ like him, don't you?" her mother said suggestively.

"I look up to him," Kono corrected to which Iolani chuckled. "What?" she asked.

"You can't look up to him. He's shorter than you."

"Mom!" Kono exclaimed, trying to sound affronted though she laughed right along with her mother.

* * *

Danny didn't know how long he stayed in the shower. His lungs and head felt almost clear and the muscles that had grown tense from all the coughing and heaving started to relax. He finally got out of the shower and toweled off the excess water. He wiped the steam from the mirror and blinked at his reflection. He was ghostly pale and just a little red around the edges. He took a deep breath and was more than a little relieved when he didn't have to cough it up. He pulled on the sweatpants and t-shirt Kono packed in his duffel. He figured he should feel weird about the whole thing, but he was really too tired to care.

He shuffled out of the bathroom and into the bedroom to which it was connected. Kono's mom had closed the drapes and cracked the windows to let in the breeze. She'd also turned down the sheets and quilt on the old, iron-frame bed. He just climbed in when a soft knock sounded on the bedroom door before it opened just a crack.

"You still awake?" Kono asked, poking her head into the room.

"Yeah, I just got out of the shower."

"Good," Kono said, coming in with a steaming mug in her hands. "Mom made you her own special get-well tea."

Danny took the mug from her as she sat down at the foot of the bed. He was a little suspicious since she was smirking at him like she had a secret, but the warmth of the tea was far too inviting. The bitterness of the tea and the tang of the lemon juice were overshadowed by a sweet, biting, burning taste. He was proud that the surprise didn't make him gag and spit up the beverage.

"Uh, is there rum in this?"

"Yep," she replied, giggling slightly.

"You put rum in your tea, but you can't handle more than a couple of shots of Irish whiskey?"

"Mom put rum in _your_ tea, not mine."

Danny was glad he could finally laugh without wanting to cough up his lungs. He shook his head and continued sipping his tea. Kono rested her back against the footboard and pulled her feet up onto the bed. After a few minutes of comfortable silence, she took in a deep breath and said, "Okay, this is killing me: why do you have a skateboard?"

"I am a thirty-five-year-old man. Why is it so weird that I have a skateboard? Everybody had a skateboard when I was a kid," he explained between sips. "We didn't have much surf in Jersey, but we had a hell of a lot of concrete. I haven't skated since I was about fifteen, though."

"Then why did you keep the board? Why did you bring it with you from Jersey?" Kono asked, her brow furrowed in curiosity.

"Um…" Danny began, resting his head against the wall.

"Come on, spill," Kono ordered brightly.

"I guess I was going through a phase, and I hated my parents for no good reason, and I skated because it wasn't a team sport, which totally pissed off my dad, and it's a part of me," he replied. "I can't really let it go."

Kono smiled in understanding. "Were you any good?"

"I only broke my arm twice, so I guess I wasn't terrible."

"You'd probably be a pretty good surfer."

"Don't even think about it, Kono."

"Think about what?"

"Getting me in the water, because it's never going to happen voluntarily," he told her, setting the empty mug aside.

"Chicken."

"That is so not even going to work right now," he replied, settling down into the covers.

"Hey, Danny," she said more quietly, "how did you get those scars on the back of your shoulder?"

His blue eyes looked back at her with an emotion she could only identify as sorrow. "Ask me again sometime," he said, barely above a whisper.

"Okay," she replied with equal volume as she stood up from the bed. She picked up the mug and quietly slipped out of the room. She put the cup in the sink and went out onto the lanai to check on Danny's afghan. The breeze left it dry and smelling of the sweet, Hawaiian air. She took it down and gently crept back into Danny's room. His breathing had already taken on the steady rhythm of sleep. Kono gently draped the afghan over his shoulders and Danny pulled it up around his neck. Kono had to cover her mouth with her hand to keep from giggling. She pulled her cell phone out of her back pocket and took a picture. She could use it to blackmail him later if she ever needed to.

"Are you gonna sleep in your old room tonight?" her mother asked her quietly when Kono was once again in the hall.

"No, I need to go home and walk my dog," she answered. "Give Daddy a kiss for me when he gets home, okay?"

"Okay," Iolani said, pulling her daughter into a tight hug. "Don't forget to take care of yourself while you're taking care of everyone else."

"I love you, too, Mom," Kono said, smiling.


	8. When You Put on the Badge

"I cannot _believe_ him."

"Have you noticed you two fight like an old married couple?"

"Don't say shit like that."

"You don't have to listen to the two of you. It's like listening to my parents."

"You can stop any time now."

"The really bad thing is: he's starting to rub off on you."

"Take that back!"

"Danny, you drove through a gate and tried to stop a Learjet with a Camaro."

"I _did_ stop a Learjet with the Camaro."

"Regardless, I still understood what you're always complaining about because_ I_ was the helpless person in the passenger seat while the guy driving did something completely insane."

"You don't think I'll throw you out of this car, do you?"

"Of course you won't."

"Oh, really? And why is that?"

"Because you're afraid of Chin," Kono said, smiling triumphantly.

"Okay, you're probably right about that," he muttered, gripping the steering wheel more tightly. "But that doesn't mean Steve is right about the Kahi'iko. Not every asshole in the world can wind up there."

"You're not necessarily right about the docks either."

"Then why did you come with me?"

"Well, I wasn't going to let you go alone."

"You know, I was alone the first six months on this island, and I was just fine," Danny told her. "After acquiring McGarrett as a partner, I got shot and injured my knee after it hadn't bothered me for more than ten years."

"Would you rather I stayed at headquarters?"

"Nah. Since _you're_ with me, I probably won't get shot."

He was right. They geared up and searched the area. They remained back-to-back to clear the area. Marty Danvers was hiding. Danny saw him as he turned around. He fired as the Marty fired from his rifle. Marty collapsed from the whole in his head, but Danny was more concerned with his young partner, who was standing preternaturally still as her sidearm slipped out of her hand and hit the asphalt.

"Kono?"

She turned slowly and said, "I think something's wrong."

Danny caught her just before she hit the concrete. "No, no, no, no, no! You cannot do this on me," he said, unfastening the straps of her vest and pulling it over her head. Apparently, the Kevlar had only slowed the bullet down so it didn't exit her body. Blood stained her white shirt as her breathing became ragged and tears filled her eyes.

Danny pulled out his phone and hit the first number on speed dial. As soon as the operator picked up, he said, "This is Detective Danny Williams, Five-0. I have an officer down at the St. Augustine docks in Waikiki. I repeat, officer down! Suspect is incapacitated, likely deceased. I need an ambulance, now!"

Danny shoved his phone back into his pocket as he cradled her shoulders and put pressure on the wound. She cried out in pain and clutched his arm.

"Danny, it hurts," she whimpered weakly.

"I know, I know," he told her, keeping pressure on the wound. "Look at it this way, at least you didn't get blown up."

"Blown up?"

"Yeah, yeah, you know those scars on my shoulder? I got them when we went in on this drug bust. The guys were hiding in this room behind a fake wall, and they blew the place while they slipped out the back door," Danny told her, trying to keep his cool. "I dove into this alcove thing that didn't completely protect me. Got a bunch of wood and metal splinters in my shoulder. One piece went in more than two inches. It hurt a hell of a lot worse than getting shot."

"Why didn't…you…why didn't you want to…tell me?" she asked, gasping for air.

Danny closed his eyes, suddenly regretting his decision to tell her this story. "I was the only lucky one that day," he said as sirens came into earshot.

"Oh, God!" Kono moaned, her fingernails digging into Danny's arm.

"You're gonna be okay! You're gonna be okay! I promise you! You hear me? You're gonna be okay!"

Her eyes rolled back into her head. "No!" Danny screamed, trying to shake her awake. "Kono!"

He was only vaguely aware of paramedics pushing him out of the way. He mechanically informed a uniformed officer that the dead guy was their suspect, Marty Danvers. Without even thinking, he climbed in the back of the ambulance before they took off for the hospital. They whisked her away and Danny was barely conscious of the fact orderlies and nurses her forcefully pushing him into the waiting room.

He suddenly found himself staring at his cell phone trying to decide whether he should call Chin and Steve, or Kono's mom. He was even less sure of what he would say.

"Danno!"

He looked up to find Steve and Chin staring at him anxiously.

"Danno, what happened?"

"I, uh…he wasn't there, and then he was, and I fired, but I was—I was too late."

"Where is Kono?" Chin asked firmly.

"Surgery," Danny answered, barely above a whisper.

"You got Danvers?"

"At the morgue," Danny answered automatically. "I should have seen him. I should have protected her."

"Danno, no, don't do this to yourself," Steve ordered.

"You got the guy, Danny. You did your job, brah," Chin added.

"I must've done something wrong, or she-she wouldn't be here. She wouldn't be dying."

"Don't do this to yourself, man," Steve said, grabbing the back of Danny's head.

"I should have done a better job."

"Hey!" Steve said loudly, smacking Danny on the back of the head. Danny responded by punching Steve in the mouth.

Chin prepared to separate the two of them, but Steve pushed him away. "You in there, Danno?" he asked his partner.

Danny nodded. "I'm good," he said with more strength than he felt.

"I'm going to check on her," Chin said, pulling out his phone and moving out of the waiting room.

"This is not your fault," Steve said, a hand on Danny's shoulder.

Danny just nodded.

"Go clean yourself up. You look like an animal," Steve told him, smirking.

"Jackass," Danny muttered, walking to the bathroom.

He looked like a ghost when he saw his reflection in the mirror. He had several stains on his shirt left by his hands and hers. He stripped off his tie and shoved it in his pocket. He un-tucked his shirt and unbuttoned it enough to pull it over his head and tossed it in the trash. His undershirt wasn't quite as stained. He scrubbed his hands under scalding water, watching it turn a rust color as it swirled into the drain.

His eyes stung from unshed tears and he took a deep breath to keep from sobbing. He had had partners get shot before. Hell, he'd had partners die before. He never nearly went catatonic and blubbered in the bathroom as a result. But this was different. He didn't just work with these people. Other than Grace, they were all he had. He couldn't afford to lose any of them, especially Kono.

Chin was waiting for him when he came out of the bathroom. "You get lost?"

Danny chuckled and shook his head. "I just…I needed a minute."

"She's out of surgery," Chin told him. "She's going to be fine. She didn't even lose a lot of blood, and that's because of you."

"Yeah, sure," Danny said flatly.

"She hasn't come out of the anesthesia yet. You should be there when she comes to."

"What? No," Danny replied, holding his hands up.

"You were the last thing she saw before she passed out. You need to be there when she wakes up, brah."

"But you're her family."

"So are you," Chin replied matter-of-factly. "It was Aunty Iolani's idea and she's right. So, you can either walk to room 212, or I can kick your ass all the way there."

"Okay, I'm going," Danny promised as Chin clapped a hand on Danny's shoulder.

He tried to avoid the throng of people in the waiting room, but he couldn't pass without looking Kono's mother in the eye. Iolani just smiled at him and nodded once in affirmation of his actions.

A nurse looked up at him when he reached the room. "Excuse me, sir, are you family?"

"Yes," he answered, causing her to look up at him with a raised eyebrow. "I'm her partner," he added quietly as he walked around the bed.

"Oh. Alright. She'll be fine, but it might be a while before she wakes up."

Danny nodded and the nurse left noiselessly. He pulled the chair up next to her bed and sat down only to stand right back up. He paced to the foot of the bed and then the right side and then the left side and then back to the foot of the bed. He walked back to the chair and sat down and again stood right back up.

"You're making me dizzy, brah."

His head snapped back toward her pale form. She was looking at him with a slight smirk. "Hey," he said, walking to the right side of the bed and taking her hand.

"I feel…funny," she told him slowly.

"That would be the morphine," he explained, grinning.

"Oh. Feels good," she concluded drowsily.

"Yeah, I remember," he said, nodding with a smile. He squeezed her hand more tightly and said, "I am _so_ sorry, Kono."

"Danny—"

"No, I guess you were right," he cut her off. "Steve really must be rubbing off on me. I took you in there, and you nearly got killed."

"Danny, stop it," she said, her strength rising. "We did everything right. Sometimes, no matter how careful we are, someone's still gonna get shot. It's the risk we take when we put on the badge. It's not your fault, Danno. It's not anybody's fault."

"You sure about that?" he asked, twining his fingers with hers.

"Positive. Family of cops, remember?"

"Hard to forget. They're all downstairs," he joked before kissing her forehead.

"Could you just stay with me a minute before they all come up here?"

"Sure," he answered, sitting in the chair, his hand still holding hers.

She fell back asleep and Danny finally let go of her hand and walked downstairs. Just outside the waiting room, Iolani stood, leaning against the doorway.

"Did she tell you it wasn't your fault?"

Danny smiled slightly and nodded.

"You believe it now, don't you?"

"Yeah, I think I do."

"Good. Now get in there. Chin and Sid want to buy you a beer…or several."


	9. Epic Movie Marathon Recovery

A/N: This one is shorter, and a little random. You'll probably think I was watching Lord of the Rings while writing this, but I was actually watching Pirates of the Caribbean, which of course naturally leads one to think of LOTR. Anyway, thanks for all the reviews and alerts! Enjoy!

* * *

"Kono, you have visitors."

She looked up from the television screen in time to see Grace come in, ducking underneath her mother's arm. "Gracie!" she exclaimed, pausing the movie.

Danny came in after his daughter and Iolani smiled and closed the door behind them. "We knew you couldn't give Gracie her lesson today, but she still wanted to come an see you," Danny explained, pulling up a chair as Grace climbed into bed with Kono.

"Aw, I'm glad you came," Kono said. "I have a lot of family, but they get annoying after a while."

"Families are like that."

"We brought you something," Grace said, reaching into her bag, and producing a sock monkey. "Daddy brought me one when I broke my arm."

"Is that why he calls you monkey?" Kono asked, looking at Danny.

"I call her monkey because she somehow managed to climb onto the kitchen counter when she was six months old," Danny answered. "And she broke her arm because she fell out of a tree. Rachel was _very_ unhappy about that."

Grace nodded her agreement and Kono giggled. "Well, thank you very much. It's very thoughtful."

"What are you watching?" Grace asked her.

"_The Two Towers_," Kono replied. "I've made it through all the _Star Wars_ movies, and after I'm done with _Lord of the Rings_, I'll watch all the _Pirates of the Caribbean _movies."

"That's how you deal with medical leave? Epic movie marathons?"

"Yeah, well, I had a huge crush on Orlando Bloom when I was younger. He skates," Kono said, looking over Grace's head at Danny. He rolled his eyes and shook his head in reply.

"Daddy likes the hobbits cos they're short like him."

"Gracie, don't tell people that stuff."

"Your dad does kind of remind me of Merry."

"I'm sitting right here," Danny reminded them as they giggled conspiratorially.

"Daddy, can we stay and watch the rest of the movie?"

"Is it okay?" Danny asked Kono.

"Of course," she replied, picking up the remote and pressing play.

Grace drifted off after an hour. Danny smirked and said, "Guess she doesn't love this movie as much as she thought."

"It's a long movie. She'll wake up when the battle starts."

Danny leaned back in his chair. "You doing okay?"

Kono nodded. "I miss surfing every morning," she said. "The docs say I can't for a few more weeks."

"What's worse? Not surfing, or dying of a horrible infection?"

"You have such a positive outlook on life."

"You still think I'm like Merry?"

"Actually, you're most like Gimli, who is also quite short," Kono said, smiling.

"Okay, if I'm Gimli, who's McGarrett?"

"That depends: in general, Steve is Aragorn, but when it comes to his relationship with you, he's Legolas."

"So, I get to be a dwarf, and Steve gets to be the two coolest guys in the movie?"

"Well, Sam is the real hero."

"So, do you get to be Sam?"

"No, we'll let Gracie be Sam."

"Huh? What?" Grace said, rubbing her eyes as she sat up in the bed.

"We just decided you should be Sam," Kono told her.

"Oh, good, I love Sam," Grace said brightly. "He really reminds me of Daddy."

"God, if you two are gonna do this again, I'm going to beg your mother for a beer," Danny said, standing up from his chair and walking out of the room.

Kono chuckled at his behavior before regarding the little girl next to her. "Why does your dad remind you of Sam?"

"Because Sam was happy and everything in the Shire, but he gave it all up to help Frodo. Daddy gave up everything to be with me, just like Sam," Grace said, smiling up at Kono.

Kono couldn't help but return her smile. "Yeah, I guess your dad is a lot like Sam."

Danny came back in and cocked an eyebrow at the sweet smiles of the two young women on the bed. "What?"


	10. Dislocation

A/N: yet another update to celebrate tonight's episode, which looks awesome btw. Oh, and I completely plagiarized a line from Lost. Can you catch it? It's not a real obvious one. Enjoy!

* * *

"Holy shit!" Danny said, holding onto the other person's arm for dear life. "I swear to God, I'm gonna kill him for this!"

"You say that every week!" Kono screamed back.

She was dangling through a hole in the rotten floor in an abandoned building. Steve ordered them inside. Now Kono was hanging precariously twenty feet above a concrete floor.

"Pull me up!" she yelled.

"I can't!"

"Why the hell not?"

"Because I'm pretty sure my shoulder's been dislocated."

"Then give me your other arm!"

"I do that and we both splat on the concrete."

"What is going on up there?"

"What do you think?" the pair screamed back down at their boss.

"Okay, okay," Steve said, holding his hands up to placate them. "Chin's got Hammond. I'll…come up there and get you."

Danny took a deep breath and said, "So, how're you enjoying your first day back?"

"Oh, it's been awesome," she replied, holding on more tightly. "How's your arm."

"I think it's about to fall off, thanks for asking."

"How did this happen?" Steve asked from behind Danny.

"How do you think? We were chasing Hammond and the floor fell out!"

"Dammit!" Steve yelled as wood cracked beneath him and his foot fell through. "Fuckin' hell!"

"You still back there, Steve?"

"Yeah, barely. This is gonna take me a minute," Steve replied, testing each plank before he put his weight down.

"Nonono! I'm slipping! I'm slipping!"

"No, you're not! I got you!" Danny yelled, moving to grab her with his other arm. The floor creaked beneath him and he said, "Hurry up, Steve!"

"I'm coming as fast as I can without killing us all."

"Suddenly you're concerned about that?"

"Shut up, Danno!"

"Both of you shut up!"

"Hey, Hammond's in the back of a squad car. How the hell did this happen?" Chin asked, appearing beneath them.

"Stop asking stupid questions!" Kono shouted down at him.

"Chin, get underneath her!" Danny shouted as the floor began to creak more loudly. "Kono, you're gonna have to let go."

"Nonononono!" she replied in a panicked rush, her fingernails digging into Danny's arm.

"It'll be okay, Cuz. I can catch you."

"This is a really bad idea," Kono whimpered quietly.

"Hey, despite your cousin's amazing skill set, I'm pretty sure he can't catch us both. Let. Go."

Kono closed her eyes and loosened her grip until the only thing holding her up was Danny. He let go as the floor creaked and a pair of arms pulled him back just as planks of rotten wood followed Kono down.

"Steve, is that you?" Danny asked without looking at the person holding him.

"Yeah, it's me," Steve answered, and to Danny's ears, he even sounded a little bit scared.

"Kono, you okay?"

"We're good!" she called up.

"Let's get the hell out of here," Danny said to his partner.

"Agreed," Steve said, pulling Danny to his feet.

* * *

"You're telling me with all that all-powerful Navy Seal training, you can't just pop my arm back into place?"

"Of course I can do it, but we are not in the middle of the Afghani desert. This is Honolulu. Go to the hospital."

"What's going on?" Kono asked, stepping out of her office and into Five-0's main area.

"He's being an idiot," Steve replied.

"I am not being an idiot," Danny argued. "I've dislocated my shoulder before. I just need someone to pop it back into place and then I'll wear a sling for a week. No big deal."

"Danny—"

"Steve, just help me out."

"Oh, for God's sake," Kono muttered before grabbing Danny's arm and pulling with all her might until she heard it pop a moment later.

"Christ! Mother fucker!" Danny screamed, his eyes widening in pain and shock.

Steve shook his head incredulously. "Are they teaching that at the Academy now?"

"Her mother's a nurse, brah," Chin said, emerging from the interrogation room. "Hammond's freaking out about all the yelling."

"Good," Steve replied. "Danno, are you crying?"

"I am _not_ crying," he growled, stomping toward the kitchen.

"You can take care of him, _we_ are going to talk to the suspect," Steve said, motioning between himself and Chin.

Kono found Danny icing down his shoulder. She took their large first aid kit out of the cabinet and found the blue sling.

"Did you really have to do that like that?" he asked as she put the strap over his head.

"Anticipation is the worst part. I thought I would spare you," she replied, grinning as she gently slid his elbow into the sling.

"Oh, you're hilarious," Danny muttered flatly.

"Thanks for saving me, Danny," she said quietly, tightening the strap restraining Danny's arm to his torso.

"Yeah, well, I wouldn't have done it for anyone else."

"Really?" Kono asked, walking around to face him.

"Well, yeah, if it had been Chin or Steve, they would have torn my arm right off," Danny said, grinning smugly. "It's not because you're special or anything. You just weigh less."

She glared and clenched her fists at her sides. In response, Danny grinned more widely and said, "Don't hit me. I'm injured."

"You are such an idiot," she muttered, walking away.


	11. Not So Well Kept Secrets

A/N: This one is kind of in response to last night's episode, "Mana'o," but probably not in the way you would expect. Oh, and because I believe in shameless self-promotion, go check out my new multi-chaptered fic, The Other McGarrett. If you like the ideas in the summary, you'll probably like the fic. Enjoy!

* * *

Grace rubbed her eyes as she stepped out of her room and into the sunshiny living room of her father's apartment. Her father was still snoring on the pull out bed. She quietly climbed up and whispered, "Daddy, wake up."

"Five more minutes, Monkey," he replied drowsily, waving her off.

Grace sighed and shook her head. Her dad certainly did love to sleep. She quietly crawled off the bed and considered what to do next. She smiled and picked up her dolphin trainer Annie doll. She had to come up with a new place to hide her. Under the bed was getting a little old. She spied a stool in the kitchen and grinned.

She pushed the stool up to the counter as quietly as she could. She climbed up and stood on the counter before pulling herself on top of the refrigerator. She looked down before deciding that was a bad idea. She quickly stuffed Annie into the cabinet and climbed back down. It would take him forever to find her there.

She went back to her room, which was the only bedroom in the apartment, and pulled on her bathing suit. She then tied a wrap around her waist—her dad wouldn't let her out of the apartment in just her bathing suit—and pulled her hair into two ponytails. She slipped into her flip-flops and grabbed her surfboard and stood it up next to the front door. Her father was still snoring on his pull out bed.

She bounced up next to him and opened one of his eyelids. "Daddy, we're going to be late!"

"Huh? What?" Danny asked, sitting bolt upright.

"We're going to be late for my surfing lesson," Grace informed her father.

"Oh, jeez, sweetie, I'm sorry," he told her, throwing off the covers. "Just give me a minute to get cleaned up."

Through the bathroom door he called out, "Hey, Grace, make sure you have your stuff together. Your mom's probably going to want to pick you up right after your lesson."

"Okay," Grace said, going back to her room to gather her things.

* * *

Danny found it extremely hard to watch Grace surf. Though he'd engaged in some fairly dangerous activities in his youth, it was hard to watch his daughter attempt things comparably life-threatening. His only comfort was that Kono had actually taught Grace how to fall down before she taught her how to stand up.

He just started to relax a little when he heard the familiar tones of _Psycho_ emanating from his pocket.

* * *

Kono quirked an eyebrow when she heard _Psycho_ playing behind her. She kept her eyes focused on Grace as she listened to Danny's voice become louder and more strident. Evidently, Rachel was calling. Her heart lifted as she watched Grace pop up to her feet. She almost immediately felt her stomach clench as the little girl fell off her board a few seconds later. She glanced back as she jogged into the surf and was glad to find Danny was still distracted. He hated watching Grace fall.

Grace popped up with her board just as Kono reached her. "I fell down again," Grace sighed.

"Yeah, but you stood up, which is the hardest part," Kono told her. "You're doing great, Gracie, but I get the feeling our lesson is about to be cut short."

"Oh," she said simply as her father approached.

"Hey, Grace, that was your mom. She, uh, she wants to pick you up at the beach because it's more on her way, or whatever, so did you get all your stuff together like I asked?" Danny said, clearly exasperated and still holding his phone.

"Um…yes," Grace replied, looking at her sandy feet.

"What's with the um?"

"Well, I couldn't find Annie this morning."

"Why didn't you say something this morning?"

"I thought we would have time to look for her later," Grace said without meeting her father's dubious gaze.

Danny sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose as he squatted down to Grace's level. "Okay, I have to go back to the apartment to get your backpack. I will find Annie while I'm there. I promise."

Grace smiled slightly and nodded. Danny kissed her on the forehead and stood up, pulling Kono aside a couple of feet. "Would you mind taking her for some shave ice, or something?" Danny asked, reaching into his pockets for some cash.

"Keep your money," she told him quietly. "Waiola is just up the way. Kamekona'll take care of us."

"Of course he will," Danny said, rolling his eyes. "I gotta go."

* * *

"Alright, ladies, got two large cones for yous," Kamekona said as he set a grape and a cherry cone down in front of them. He looked sideways at Grace and said, "You know, I think you too pretty to be dat haole's little girl."

"Thank you…I think," Grace replied nervously.

"Thanks, uncle," Kono laughed as the other man smiled and walked away. She looked at the little girl sitting next to her and said, "I know he looks intimidating, but he's really just an oversized teddy bear."

Grace smiled and nodded. After the girl just picked at her shave ice for a couple of minutes, Kono said, "Something wrong, Gracie?"

"Can I tell you a secret?"

"Of course."

"I didn't actually lose my doll, Annie."

"Oh?"

"I hid her like I do every time I go to Daddy's house."

"Why do you hide her?"

"So we can look for her, and I don't have to leave so fast," Grace answered sheepishly.

"Oh, sweetie," Kono said, wrapping her arms around the little girl's shoulders. "You know Danno loves you, right?"

Grace nodded.

"Well, as long as you know that, your daddy will always be with you, no matter how much time you actually get to spend with him."

Grace hugged Kono tighter in response.

"Hey, I hate to break up this bonding moment, but look what I found," Danny said as he sat down next to his daughter holding up a blonde doll in a bathing suit.

"Annie!" Grace exclaimed.

She reached for it and Danny pulled it away at the last moment. "You wanna know where I found her?"

"Where?" Grace asked, glancing at Kono.

"In the cabinet above the refrigerator," Danny replied. "Now, how do you think Annie the Dolphin Trainer got all the way up there?"

"Uh…"

"Maybe she likes to climb things," Kono suggested. "You know, like Grace."

Danny smiled at her sideways and shook his head. A car horn sounded and he turned to see a black sedan waiting on the street.

"Okay, Monkey, looks like you gotta go," he said, helping her put on her backpack. "Remember; Danno loves you."

"I know," she said, nodding. "Love you, too."

He watched as she picked up her surfboard and got into the black sedan.

"You know, it's a little disturbing that her board fits inside that car," Kono said as the vehicle pulled away.

Danny chuckled his agreement as he pulled Grace's uneaten cone over to himself. He took a large bite and said, "Did Grace tell you she hid Annie in the cabinet?"

Kono was only shocked for a split second before she said, "Yes. Did you know she's been hiding Annie every time she comes over?"

"I've suspected, though I have to say hiding her in a kitchen cabinet kind of gives the whole thing away. I have to remember to teach her how to be more sneaky," Danny said before taking another large bite out of the cone.

"You're gonna get a brain freeze."

"Sweetheart, I'm from New Jersey. You don't even know what a brain freeze is."

Kono groaned dramatically and rolled her eyes. As she thought about her conversation with Grace, however, her face became more serious. She slid across the bench so she was sitting right next to him and said, "Danny, why don't you fight Rachel for more time with Grace?"

"Because I can't hire a legion of scum-sucking attorneys," he replied quickly.

"You know, I have several cousins that are really good lawyers."

Danny looked over at her, his forehead wrinkled in confusion. "What-what brought all this on?"

"Nothing."

"No, not nothing. Spill."

"It's just," Kono began, sighing deeply, "Grace told me she hides the doll so she can spend a little more time with you. And if a little girl wants to spend time with her father so badly, she should be able to. Screw whatever some lawyer says is best!"

Danny flashed a bright smile and wrapped a hand around one of hers. "You know, I_ love_ your gung ho attitude, but, if I'm honest with myself, I really couldn't have Grace more than I already do," he told her soberly. "With this job, Steve could be calling me at any moment. I've already had to drop Grace off at her mom's on more than one occasion because of it. I can't promise to spend more time with her and then look at my little girl's face when I have to disappoint her."

"I guess I understand that," Kono said, looking down at their joined hands.

"Hey," Danny said, lifting up her chin so her eyes met his, "thank you."

"For what?"

"Right now? Just for being you," he said before kissing the side of her face and slowly releasing her hand. "You should eat your ice before it's just grape juice."


	12. Nothin' Doin'

A/N: Not sure how I feel about this one, but I like it okay. Hope you like it too. Enjoy!

* * *

Kono relaxed into one of the chairs in her parents' lawn with her beer in one hand. The family cookout had been fun, but she was glad for the peace and quiet now that the party had mostly dissipated. She just closed her eyes and enjoyed the alcohol-induced buzz spreading through her limbs. Another bottle clicked against her own and she opened one eye to see Chin sitting down next to her.

"Hey, Cuz. Have fun tonight?"

"Surprisingly, yes," he replied. "I guess they're starting to warm up to me again since McGarrett decided to give me a badge."

"Well, everyone loved and respected his old man," Kono reminded him. "It's not really that surprising they put that same faith in Steve. It also helps that you saved Sid's life."

Chin chuckled as he sipped from his bottle. "Kono, you'd tell me if something was going on with you, right?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well, I mean, you'd tell me if something was going on with you and Danny, wouldn't you?"

Kono nearly choked on her beer. "What? Where the hell are you getting that?"

"Kamekona said he saw Danny kiss you last week."

"Well, Uncle has a big mouth, and he is...misrepresenting the facts."

"Is he?"

"Yes, he is," Kono insisted. "Danny kissed me on the cheek, that's it."

"That's it?"

"Yes."

"Why'd he kiss you?"

"Why does that matter?"

"Because it does," Chin insisted. "Because things like this tend to go bad, especially in a small team like ours."

"_Nothing_ is going on," Kono told him firmly. "If something does happen, you will be the first to know. Okay?"

"Okay," Chin finally relented.

* * *

Getting shave ice at Waiola after Grace's surfing lesson had somehow become a tradition. Danny never got his own cone, but instead entertained himself stealing bites from both Grace's and Kono's. They laughed, but Kono felt mildly uncomfortable after her conversation with Chin from the previous night. She felt she was doing a pretty good job of hiding it, but Danny noticed when she flinched after he brushed her arm with his.

"Why are you so jumpy?" he asked her.

"I'm not jumpy."

"Yes, you are," Grace interjected.

Kono opened her mouth to reply, but she paused when Danny groaned loudly.

"What?"

"Look, Monkey, it's your mom," Danny said with obviously forced excitement.

Kono followed Danny's gaze to see a beautiful, well-dressed woman with long, chocolate hair piled on top of her head. She reminded Kono greatly of Grace. The woman smiled as her daughter jumped up to give her a hug.

"Mommy, come meet Kono," Grace said, pulling her along behind. "Kono, this is my mom."

"Rachel," the woman supplied unnecessarily.

"I've heard a lot about you," Kono said politely as she stood up to take the woman's hand.

"Well, I hope it hasn't all been completely terrible," Rachel said glancing down at her ex-husband.

"Oh, no, nothing terrible," Kono assured her. Danny covered his mouth with a hand to hide his enormous grin.

"But you work with Danny, don't you? In that special, little task force?"

"Try not to make us sound like we ride the short bus, Rachel."

Rachel kept her eyes focused on Kono. Kono, in turn, fidgeted with the loose threads of her sarong.

"Daniel, may I speak with you, please?"

Danny rolled his eyes and stood up, following his ex a few feet away from where Grace and Kono were sitting. "Only my mother and my grandmothers are allowed to call me Daniel. What are you doing here, Rachel?"

"I came so I could take a walk with my daughter before we go home," she replied. "I also wanted to see about _her_."

"Kono's been teaching Grace how to surf for months, and now you suddenly want to have a problem with her?" Danny asked incredulously.

"Well, Gracie's just been raving about her so much, and after she told me about how you visited the woman after she got shot—"

"Rachel, she's my partner."

"I thought that crazy man was your partner."

"I can have more than one partner, Rachel."

"Of course you can, Daniel, but she is actually quite young, and beautiful, and, you know, you used to have rules against this sort of thing."

"Don't call me Daniel! And you lost the right to judge me three years ago when you filed for divorce," he told her, the volume of his voice rising dangerously.

He glanced over his shoulder to find Kono uselessly trying to distract Grace. He took a deep breath and looked back at his ex-wife. "I trust Kono with my life. I _have_ to. There is no one else I would trust to teach Gracie," he told her. "I know my opinion doesn't matter to you, but Grace would be devastated, so don't take these lessons away from her, please?"

"Oh, please, Danny! I wouldn't do anything that would upset Grace," Rachel assured him. "Just remember: you have rules."

Danny kissed his daughter before she left with his ex-wife and he sat down next to Kono. She let him steal from her cone without question for a couple of minutes.

"So…what, exactly, do you have rules about?" she finally asked.

"You heard all of that?"

"Neither you nor your ex are quiet people."

Danny chuckled mirthlessly. "I guess not," he admitted before stabbing his spoon into the remainder of the shave ice. "The first thing you need to understand is that Rachel is, you know, completely insane."

"I know, Danny," Kono replied sarcastically.

"Well, she came down here to check you out because she thought something was going on between us," Danny muttered quickly, staring at his hands folded on the table.

Kono scratched the back of her head nervously and said, "What did she mean when she said you had rules?"

"I, um, I…don't get involved with people I work with," Danny said, looking up at her, his blue eyes suddenly vulnerable. "It's this rule I've had since the IHOP."

"IHOP? Really?" Kono asked, her laughter cutting the tension.

"You get threatened with a broken plate and you'll be against workplace romance too," he told her, smiling.

"You're joking, aren't you?"

"About the IHOP, yes," he replied, laughing. "But I don't get into, you know, romantic situations with people I work with. It's the job. Either the job screws up the relationship, or the relationship screws up the job and ends someone's career or their life."

"It's okay, Danny. I get it. Family of cops, remember?" she replied.

"Very true," he agreed.

He watched as she sighed silently, bit her lip, and looked away. "Something wrong?" he asked, taking another bite out of her cone.

"Yeah," she said, plastering on a smile. "You ate all my shave ice."

"You wan' me get you another one?" he asked with his mouth still full.

Kono grinned genuinely and said, "Yes, please."


	13. The Boss is a Little Creepy

A/N: This one is totally short, but I think it's funny. A tag of sorts to "Po'ipu". Enjoy!

* * *

Kono drummed her fingers on the table in the central room of Five-0 headquarters. Danny glanced up at her over his file and said, "What's buggin' you?"

"It's nothing."

"Doesn't look like nothing."

Kono's eyes shifted to the glass wall separating them from their boss who was on a conference call with the governor.

"Did he say something to you?" Danny asked following her gaze.

"No, it's just…"

"Just what?" Danny asked, closing the file in his hand and taking his feet off the table.

"Well, something kind of happened at the house."

"Steve's house?"

"Yeah," Kono said. "It's probably not a big deal."

"Sure, no big deal at all," Danny replied dubiously. "What happened?"

She shifted anxiously and said, "Steve stabbed a guy in the back."

"You don't mean metaphorically, do you?"

"Nope," she replied. "The guy was sneaking up behind me, and Steve just came up behind _him_ and stabbed him. I didn't even know he had a knife in that vest."

"Yeah, well, he's practically Inspector Gadget in that thing," Danny said, spurring Kono to giggle. "Why does it bother you?"

"Kono leaned across the table conspiratorially and said, "Doesn't it bother you: the things he's capable of?"

Danny smiled comfortingly and reached across the table to squeeze her hand. "Many, _many_ things disturb me about Steve McGarrett, but him using his stealthy, SEAL skill set to protect you isn't one of them."

Kono returned his smile. "It's still creepy, though."

"Oh, yeah, super creepy," Danny agreed.

"What's super creepy?" Steve asked, stepping out of his office.

Danny and Kono quickly let go of one another's hands causing Steve's eyebrows to shoot up suspiciously. The former SEAL looked between them until Danny said, "Putting a mom in a freezer; it's super creepy."

Steve nodded and said, "That's true, but it's a smart way to get rid of a body without risking it being discovered. Kono, call Chin. We got a case."

Danny and Kono stared slack-jawed at their boss as he walked out of the office.

"That was…"

"Totally disturbing," Danny concluded for her as they stood up. "Just take comfort in the fact that he's on our side…mostly."

"Yeah, Danno, that's very comforting," Kono said, rolling her eyes as she walked out the door ahead of him.


	14. Mahalo

A/N: No, I didn't die, just got busy with graduation and the holidays. Thought I wrote a piece about Kono saving Danny from eating some pickles from Max (watch ep. 11), but apparently I didn't. This was inspired by a banner ad I saw on this very site. Enjoy!

* * *

"What _are_ you doing?"

Danny quickly closed the window on his computer screen and turned around to face the amused woman in his office doorway. "Uh, nothing," he replied, shuffling papers on his desk in a futile attempt to look busy.

"That was not nothing," she replied, rushing around the desk to get to the computer.

"No, Kono, no!" he yelled, grabbing at her waist to stop her.

"Oof!" she grunted as he pulled her off her feet and into his lap. "Okay, this is sexual harassment. You are creating a hostile work environment."

"We're cops. A hostile work environment is kind of the point," he said, struggling to hold her in place.

"Then you asked for this," she said before grabbing his left ear and twisting it between her thumb and forefinger.

"Owowow!"

Kono jumped out of his lap and clicked on his computer screen. "Awww!"

"Oh, God," he moaned, rubbing his ear. "Where'd you learn how to do that?"

"That's what I did to my brother before I learned to grab his balls," she said without looking away from the computer screen. "I used to love these dolls. Mom probably still has her. Ooo, their girl of the year is Hawaiian this year."

Danny just stared and blinked at the woman as she bent over his keyboard. "You had an American Girl doll?"

"Why is that so hard to believe?"

"Oh, I don't know, I just always thought you were born with a surfboard and a mean right cross," Danny replied, grinning.

She turned and glared at him, which just turned his grin into a chuckle. She folded her arms across her chest and sat down on the end of his desk. "So, why are you surfing around the American Girl website? I'm assuming it has something to do with Grace."

"Well, yeah," Danny groaned, rolling his eyes. "She wants one, but she hasn't decided which kind yet. I didn't even know they had more than one kind. I thought I'd try to surprise her with one."

"Well, they only had like five when I was really little, but then they started doing the thing where you could choose what your doll looked like and then they added more characters and why are you looking at me like that?"

"I, um, kind of just realized that you used to be a girl."

"Shut up," she replied, tossing a stapler at him.

He grunted between laughs as it connected with his chest. Setting the stapler aside, he said, "Since you're such an expert, what would you suggest?"

"Well, personally, I would get her this Kanani doll. They'll only have her this year, which means she'll be a collectible when Grace gets older, and she's Hawaiian, and you can get her a surfboard! Grace would love it."

"Grace would love it, or _you_ would love it?"

"Grace, obviously," Kono replied, stiffening slightly.

"Well, what kind did you get?"

"Oh, I got one that looked like me, well, sort of looked like me," she corrected. "I guess they just figure all Asians look Japanese."

"Well, I don't think anyone could make a doll look like you anyway," Danny said, turning away from her.

Kono quirked and eyebrow and said, "Was that a compliment?"

"No, I'm going to insult you after that thing with my ear. Of course it was a compliment," Danny grumbled, shaking his head.

Kono smiled, mostly to herself, and continued, "You know, instead of surprising Grace, you should make this something you do together. You can cherish the memories and Grace can cherish the doll."

"Thanks, Kono."

"Glad to help," she replied, hopping off the end of his desk. "Get her the one with the surfboard."

"Go!" he told her, pointing emphatically as she scampered out of his office. He shook his head as he turned back to his computer. "I guess she really is a girl."

* * *

"What _are_ you doing?"

"Oh, hey, Mom," Kono replied, stepping off the step-stool with a box under her arm.

"What inspired this trip down memory lane?" Iolani asked, walking into her daughter's old room.

"Oh, just, you know…stuff."

"What's in the box?" her mother asked, folding her arms across her chest.

"Fine," Kono sighed, setting the box on her bed and sitting down next to it as her mother joined her.

Iolani smiled as her daughter lifted the lid of the box. "Oh, Nani. I remember her," she said, lifting the doll and looking at her. "You loved her almost as much as your surfboard. You stuck with the surfboard, though."

"Yeah, I guess I did," Kono said, smiling as she took the doll from her mother and brushing a few stray strands of hair from its face.

"I remember you scrimped and saved for three months to save the $50 your dad demanded you contribute before he'd buy you such an expensive toy," Iolani mused. "And then he went and bought you all the extras. You barely contributed anything."

Kono smiled and giggled slightly as she nodded. "Yeah, I remember."

"You know, your dad would never actually tell you this, but I think he wanted you to stay his little surfer girl that played with dolls," Iolani said, glancing at the items remaining in the box.

"What do you mean, Mom?"

"Don't tell him I said this, but your dad never wanted you to go into the family business," Iolani explained with a measure of sadness in her voice. "He knew you'd eventually put the doll away for the surfboard, but he hoped you'd stay away from the badge and pass the doll on to your daughter some day."

"Just because I'm a cop doesn't mean I can't have a family someday," Kono reminded her mother gently.

"Oh, sweetie, I know you," her mother replied. "It's possible, but very unlikely. When you do something, you commit to it 300 percent. You're not gonna have time for a family for a _long_ while."

"Well, I personally think I have a great family right now," Kono told her mother.

"Don't be a kiss-ass," Iolani replied before standing from their spot on the bed. "You gonna stay for dinner. Your daddy would be glad to see you."

"Sure, I'd love to."

* * *

Danny didn't completely mind being alone. He'd always been fairly solitary according to his mother. Sometimes, however, like when he had nothing better to do than veg out in front of the television with a beer, he felt like he might end up a lonely old miser.

A soft knock on his door jolted him out of his reverie. He set his beer aside and opened the door, finding Kono on the other side to his great and pleasant surprise. He cocked an eyebrow upon noticing the box in her hands and said, "Hey, you moving or something?"

"Oh, um, no, I just…I wanted to give you this," she replied, holding the box out to him.

"What is it?" he asked curiously as he took the box from her.

"Well, it's not actually _for_ you. It's for Grace," she explained, nervously tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "It's my American Girl doll and her things."

Danny's forehead immediately furrowed in confusion. "Um…I know Steve always complains about my place, but I'm not destitute," he said, setting the box down just inside his apartment.

"Oh, it's not that," Kono assured him, wringing her hands nervously. "I, um, she was just gathering dust at my parents' house, and I just wanted to pass her along."

"And you decided to pass it along to Grace rather than one of your numerous relations?"

"Well, I know Grace better than most of my relatives, and I know that Nani will be loved with her."

"Nani is the doll, I'm guessing,"

"Yeah."

They stood in uncomfortable silence for a minute before Danny took his weight off the doorframe and said, "Um, would you like to come in? I got television…and beer."

"I, um, I can't. Had wine with my dinner and I should really go," she said, stepping backward away from the door.

"Hey, Kono," Danny called after her before sighing deeply and biting his lip. "Mahalo."

Kono smiled brightly and replied, "You're welcome, Danno."


	15. More Than It Seems

A/N: So, it's been a while. I got a new job. Don't like it much, but it's work. This is part one of a two-shot, so don't get too concerned when you get to the end. Enjoy!

* * *

"Hey," Kono said quietly as she nonchalantly sat down across from Danny and put her feet up on his desk.

"Hey," he replied without really looking at her. "Did the governor call?"

"Nah. I didn't think she would with McGarrett in Japan. I guess she doesn't trust us," Kono joked.

"Yeah, well, he had to go and be Superman, you know," Danny replied flatly, still staring into space.

Kono raised an eyebrow and lowered her feet as she sat forward in her chair. "You okay, brah?"

"Not really," he finally admitted, briefly looking at her.

When he didn't continue, Kono gently asked, "You wanna talk about it?"

"I'm not sure."

"Well, you know I'm here when you are sure."

Kono's hand was on the door when Danny said, "When Matt took off, I didn't go to Steve, or even call my parents; I knocked on Rachel's door."

She turned around and faced him, but didn't say anything in reply. He continued, "I'm still in love with her."

"She was your wife, Danny. I don't think you ever really get over something like that."

"_She_ did. She's married to someone else."

"She moved on. That doesn't mean she got over you and lost all of her feelings for you," Kono explained, walking back over to his desk.

"You know what? It doesn't even matter. We can't be together. We've tried and failed massively. We…come from different worlds."

"You really think that matters?"

"You are so naïve."

"I am _not_ a baby. Don't talk to me like I am. If you love her and there's even the smallest chance you could make it work, you owe it to yourself and to your daughter to try."

He looked up at her and said, "Life's not a movie."

"I know that, Danny," she replied, her voice catching slightly. "But not every collision of worlds results in an earthquake."

Danny didn't say anything; he just stared at her for a long moment before tearing his eyes away and nodding gravely. Kono walked out of the office with a considerable amount of calm. She went to the women's restroom and sat down on the floor of one of the stalls. She wasn't entirely sure why she was crying like a heart-broken teenager. Danny had already told her he didn't get involved with people he worked with. He certainly hadn't acted any more interested than the average male. She also knew he was telling the truth about how he felt about Rachel.

She wasn't sure how long she sat there before another female voice said, "Excuse me, is everything all right?"

Kono's quick surfer's reflexes kicked in and she wiped her eyes and got back to her feet in a few mere moments. Her cheeks reddened in embarrassment when she saw the woman standing on the other side of the door.

"Officer Kalakaua?" Pat Jameson asked in surprise.

"Oh, um, Governor. I was—I was…I'm sorry, ma'am."

"There's nothing to apologize for, Kono. I am, however, a little curious. This doesn't seem like you."

"Probably just have too much time to think with Steve helping with the clean-up in Japan; not that I'm hoping for a crime wave or anything."

"Of course not," the governor agreed, smiling slightly. "I'm just a little concerned. There aren't any personal issues cropping up in 5-0, are there?"

"No, ma'am. Definitely not," Kono answered mechanically.

The governor smiled kindly and said, "You know, an issue isn't necessarily a bad thing."

"There aren't any issues, Governor," Kono assured her.

"Well, maybe _that's_ the problem," the older woman suggested.

"Maybe," Kono replied, looking at the floor. "I should go. Excuse me, ma'am."

She hastily moved around the governor and out of the door. She barely made it two steps before a broad-shouldered, muscular man slammed into her at high speed. They disentangled from one another and Kono looked into Danny's concerned face.

"I was coming to get you. Are you okay?" Danny asked her.

"Yeah, I'm fine. What's up?"

"Nicole Duncan failed to appear this morning."

"She made bail?"

"I think 'daddy' had something to do with that," Danny replied. "Duke's got people out looking for her, but he asked us to talk to her dad; see if we can get some more out of him."

"Right. Let's go."

* * *

Kono knew Steve though Nicole Duncan was evil incarnate, but it wasn't actually her fault she failed to appear in court. Her brother-in-law apparently snapped and was holding her hostage until her father gave up every penny he had. Danny and Kono walked into this domestic conflict when they went to question Richard Rovin. They immediately drew their guns and everyone started to panic. Richard was begging for his daughter's life. Nicole was crying and Cam Duncan looked between all of them with bloodshot eyes. Danny was saying something to diffuse the situation, but all Kono could hear was the yelling and all she could see was Cam's gun.

The gun suddenly changed positions and Kono took the shot, but not soon enough. She felt a warm splatter on her arms and shirt and face. Danny collapsed on the floor. Blood already drenched the left side of his shirt and his breath was raspy and shallow. Kono barely noticed Nicole crawling into her father's arms as she called for an ambulance. She put one hand over the wound in a fruitless attempt to stop the bleeding and cradled Danny's head with her other hand."

"Danny! Danny, you gotta stay with me. Danno, come on!"

"Hey," he looked up at her, bleary-eyed. "What you said about world' colliding…you weren't talking about me and Rachel, were you?"

Kono shook her head. "No, no, I wasn't," she admitted shakily.

Danny gave her half a smile and said, "Gotcha."

His eyes rolled back in his head and his breathing became almost imperceptible. Kono shook him and yelled, "No, Danny, no! Danno!"


End file.
